Category Archives: Leadership

Whither the CIO? Bo Wandschneider, CIO at Queen’s University (and full disclosure the Deputy CIO at Guelph when I was CIO), recently posted about the nature and future of the CIO in higher education: “The demise of the Canadian University CIO…?” … Continue reading →

Janet Bannister is a remarkable person. She virtually (pun intended) created online shopping with Kijiji (and took it global) and has held technology leadership roles in some of the most recognized international companies (eBay, Proctor & Gamble, McKinsey & Co.). Now she invests … Continue reading →

On Wednesday night David Ferriero, the National Archivist of the United States, inspired us with stories about how an archive can become central to the national fabric. His I.P. Sharp Lecture at the iSchool, University of Toronto was memorable and … Continue reading →

Over the years I’ve participated in a number of external organizational reviews (for academic libraries, public libraries, and IT divisions). While all organizations are truly different, even unique, there are two characteristics that almost always emerged as key issues during … Continue reading →

We all know clothing tells stories; there are secrets too. This is the story of Margaret Beckman’s fur coat. Margaret was the Chief Librarian at the University of Guelph from 1971 to 1984. She hired me into my first professional … Continue reading →

I’m a big fan of Alex Usher and the other folks at HESA. Their work is exceptional and the blog always interesting. Normally I find myself nodding in agreement with their insights and pointed barbs. Not so much this time. … Continue reading →

Last summer, as part of the Master of Education program I’m taking from OISE at the University of Toronto, I wrote a paper about the state of women in Chief Information Officer (CIO) positions in Canadian higher education. I looked … Continue reading →

“Culture, Values and Change: Observations from Three Consortia in Canada” is a chapter I contributed to a new collections of essays published this year by Facet Publishing (a unit of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals). My … Continue reading →

“Most institutions can no longer afford to be what they have become.” So is the blunt, and I would say accurate, assessment of Robert Dickeson in the widely admired Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance. … Continue reading →

I’ve written about the situation at Library and Archives Canada before (here and here); things aren’t getting much better despite all the protests and consultations. I’m the Editor-in-Chief of Access, the magazine of the Ontario Library Association. The most recent … Continue reading →